"Very gradual" return to school for Blackpool's primary pupils

The government advised that children in reception classes and years one and six should head back to school on 1st June.

At the time, the authority's director of public health, Dr Arif Rajpur, said that he was able to support the move, but only "when individual schools feel that it is safe" - and he stressed that the council was not setting its own target date.

The council said yesterday (8th June) that its advice to schools remains unchanged from when it was issued late last month. It was partly based on "balancing the risks of Covid-19 with the potential detrimental impact on child welfare and educational outcomes", Dr. Rajpur said just over a week ago.

However, other parts of Lancashire have since taken a different stance. The county council area - which includes Fylde and Wyre - advised schools that it was not safe for them to reopen at the start of this month, because the area was not meeting two out of the government's own five tests dictating the speed of lockdown lifting.

Dr. Sakthi Karunanithi, County Hall's director of public health, reconfirmed that position yesterday and has said he will review the situation on a weekly basis. He expressed concern just under a fortnight ago that the government's test, track and trace strategy was not sufficiently ready to contain any outbreaks which may occur as a result of schools reopening.

Blackburn Council has advised schools to remain closed until at least 22nd June.

A spokesperson for Blackpool Council was unable to say how many schools in the town had welcomed back the permitted year groups in the week since they were allowed to do so, but added:

“Our initial guidance hasn’t changed. In terms of numbers, we are, as anticipated, seeing a very gradual return with small numbers returning to school each day.”

The majority of schools across Lancashire have remained open throughout lockdown for the children of key workers and vulnerable families.